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April 12, 2017

Top 10 Hair Products of all Time

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This series is quickly becoming a favorite of mine, mostly cos I’m lowkey obsessed with making lists. I swear something in my soul just sings whenever I’m making a list and checking it twice (+ crossing things off…yannno the feeling??! Ahhh!). I make lists for everything from to-do’s and tweets to my week’s outfits and things to shop for, so it makes sense that favorite products are included in the list-making mix. Top 10 debuted with my top 10 skincare products of all time. And I’ve gotta say, that one was a *bit* easier than today’s – my top 10 hair products.

Hair products are one of those things that I joke about all the time, because it’s an easy sample for brands to send. I swear I have enough shampoo and conditioner to last me until I’m 50 – a total #blessing, I know, but also a bit comical. Especially since I try to wash my hair only about twice a week, it can be a bit difficult to thoroughly test shampoos and track any sort of “results.” But, I kinda have to, cos it’s in the job description! 😉

The lowdown on my hair: I have an oily scalp, some natural texture and wave, and it’s gotten finer as I’ve gotten older (joy). I typically dye it about twice a year (permanently), and I never bleach. Washdays happen every 3-4 days; anyone who knows me knows that the day I’m rockin’ a sock bun means a shampoo is in order. 😉 And I’m totally down for experimenting and mixing things up. I lovelovelove hair products that reduce the amount of time I need to spend styling and re-styling. SO.

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Leave-In Smoothing cream. I’ve gone through multiple bottles of this stuff at this point, so I *really* can tell the difference it makes in my hair. I apply when my hair is about 75% dry (I try to let it air-dry as often as possible to prevent unnecessary heat damage), and I either let it air dry the rest of the way then or go about styling per usual. My hair is noticeably softer and smoother when I use it, and it really does feel healthier, too!

Paul Mitchell Hot off the Press thermal protectant hairspray.I have two more cans of this lined up and ready to go, cos it’s my heat styling must-have. This gem works to protect your hair during heat styling while also having light hold to it. It’s not sticky at all and is definitely a lighter hold than a regular hairspray, but I think it’s PERFECT for use while you’re styling, since you’re protecting + holding as you go.

Organix Argan Oil of Morocco Weightless Healing Dry Oil ANDOGX Coconut Oil Weightless Hydrating Oil Mist. Organix is one of my all-time favorite haircare brands. Quite frankly, I’ve never met one of their products that I didn’t like! I mentioned before that my hair/scalp has a tendency to get more oily, the *last* thing I typically jump to add to my hair is oil. BUT. The OGX dry oils are simply phenomenal. They mist out ever so lightly, so they really are the perfect hydrator and smoother that does NOT leave my hair looking or feeling greasy in the slightest. I mist 2-3 times to cover my head (avoiding roots), and it makes such a difference in leaving everything shinier and healthier-looking. Plus, every single OGX product smells *amazeballs*.

Aveda air control hairspray. This hairspray is light, but holds – something super important to me. Especially since I try to maximize the length of time I can go between washes, ain’t nobody got time for sticky locks. I keep a travel-size version in my bag for quick style fixes whenever I’m at an event or night out. Aveda hair products are total wins, in my opinion. They fund renewable wind energy to offset the Co2 associated with the manufacturing, transportation and use of control force™ to help ensure it has a net-zero impact on the Earth’s climate. How cool is that??? Also paren, sulfate, phthalate, and cruelty-free.

Aveda shampure dry shampoo. Y’all know I’m a dry shampoo freak. I do not call a dry shampoo a “favorite” lightly. But this one. THIS ONE. This dry shampoo is one of my all time favorites, without a doubt. But before it was a favorite, I’ll letcha in on a lil’ secret: I had no clue how to use it. Yannno how most dry shampoos at the drugstore are in aerosol cans? Yeah? Not this one. With shampure, you just squeeze the bottle, and the powder literally puffs out. (It took me emailing the Aveda team to find out how the HECK to use the bottle after a few failed attempts at literally dumping the powder onto my scalp before I figured this out…whoops). Especially with dark hair, I HATE white residue. Many aerosol versions feel a bit harsh and too unnatural, and leave behind a sticky residue on your strands. Not this one! The powder feels lighter, actually IS natural, and brushes out easily. Bless.

It’s a 10 miracle leave-in.I have multiple bottles of different variations of the Miracle Leave-Ins, from the original to the silky keratin variety. This is basically your ultimate do-it-all product that legit claims to do it all. On Ulta’s website it says it: “repairs dry damaged hair, adds shine, smoothes & controls frizz, seals & protects hair color, detangles, prevents split ends, stops hair breakage, creates silkiness, enhances natural body, flat iron & thermal protector. An excellent nourishing treatment that can be used alone and/or as a restorative styling product that leaves hair soft and bouncy. Works on all hair types to bring out natural luster and manageability while also making hair stronger and healthier with every use. Can be used on wet hair for extra shine or dry hair in place of a styling cream.” So…yeah, it does it all.

Head and Shoulders dry scalp care shampoo with almond oil. I know I know…don’t be freaked out by the whole “dandruff shampoo” thing. Dandruff shampoos are meant to be clarifying and hydrating, to get rid of any fakes while moisturizing the skin on yo’ head (ie, the scalp). I lovelovelove using Head and Shoulders once in awhile as a way to get rid of product build up. Sometimes, even though I have a naturally oilier scalp, things can get more on the dry side after multiple days in a row of dry shampoo, hairsprays, and other products bringing havoc to my looks. Besides smelling amaaaaazing, this stuff just acts as the *perfect* in-shower head massage product.

TRESemme Expert Selection Repair & Protect Hair Recovery Mask with Biotin. I like to use a hair mask about every other wask (since I’m washing about twice a week, I try to do every other week) as a deeper conditioning treatment. Especially since I’m washing relatively infrequently and heat styling regularly, I figure some extra hydration never hurt nobody! 😉 This entire line is a favorite of mine when it comes to solid drugstore options. I lovelovelove that there is biotin already in the products. I take a daily biotin supplement (it’s recommended for hair, skin, and nail health!), but this is icing on le cake. They’ve also got a good pre-styling spray, and I use the shampoo and conditioners from this line too and LOVE. I’d also recommend the reverse system shampoo and conditioner, made to counteract the fact that conditioner after shampoo can weigh hair down and leave it feeling (+ looking) flatter.

Matrix Oil Wonders Volume Rose shampoo + conditioner for finer hair. This stuff is truly coming up roses. 😉 This duo leaves my hair smelling PHENOMENAL. I lovelovelove this entire line. My mom absolutely loves the mousse, and I use the pre-shampoo treatment as well as the finishing spray and the (which is currently half off AND comes with a free gift! woo!). If you don’t like the smell of roses…you’re weird. HA JK But really tho, if you don’t like roses, doln’t buy this stuff. It smells like roses. But it’s not sickenly floral – it’s just really amazing.

Remington T|Studio Pearl Ceramic Professional Styling Elliptical Wand. This is my exact one that I use most often when I get my favorite tighter waves (like my waves in this post) – it’s not available online anymore, and honestly I picked it up at Burlington on a whim for, like, $19 when I needed a wand in a flash! But when I wand my whole head with this bad boy, the curls last for DAYS, no joke.This is a near-exact option, just slightly different barrel shape. Next up on my list to try is T3!

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As an added bonus, some other tools I lovelovelove…Paul Mitchell Ion blow dryer – I have a pink one that came out around breast cancer awareness month, so I love it all the more. In general, I’m a fan of every single Paul Mitchell styling tool I’ve tried. I have quite a few at this point, and they all work like a charm.

Soooo, ya might’ve noticed that my hair when I did this photoshoot was a different color than it is now! Recently I had the chance to head to a Redken salon and get an EQ Gloss treatment; essentially, they put a sealant on my hair to serve as a smoother and protector that leaves your hair suuuuuper shiny and glossy-looking. They asked if I wanted tinted, so of course I jumped at the chance to play with color. 😉 This color was called Sangria, and y’all know how I feel about my wine…

Here’s the before and after right after the treatment:

The color is supposed to last 6-8 weeks, as it’s a demi-permanent treatment, but I was stoked that my roots wouldn’t be as noticeable, since my roots from my last coloring were v there. Like, HELLO, WE ARE ROOTS AND WE HAVE ARRIVED!! And I was *so* impressed with the results of the treatment…I mean, can we talk about that before n’ after??? And my hair was insanely manageable and #flawless before the next wash especially (blame it on the blowout they finished with). This post was shot the day after treatment.

What are your favorite hair products?

I wanna hear what you use on the reg + lovelovelove! Drop ’em in a comment below – I’m always down for recommendations, and I trust ya. We’re tight like that. 😉

CURRENTLY CRAVING

IN MY MAKEUP BAG

Coming up Roses partners with several affiliate programs, meaning commission can be earned on sales of purchases by those who visit this site and on any Coming up Roses social media platforms. All products submitted to Coming Up Roses are subject to review and will be noted with a "c/o" (courtesy of) next to the credit upon its first placement, if featured. All views expressed on Coming Up Roses are Erica's alone, and she *ONLY* promotes products that she truly loveloveloves.

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